(Matt Hagin says the Cadillac Escalade is the first truck ever to
wear the company's coveted logo. Bob says he saw one years ago that
broke his heart. A shop owner had converted a '30 V12 into a tow truck.)

MATT - Average Cadillac buyers are well into their '60s and Cadillac
wants to lower these demographics, according to reports. The sport/
utility vehicle market is a good one to concentrate on since the 40-
to-55 well-heeled age group is into expensive SUVs. It's a tough segment
for a newcomer to penetrate, though, since the competition is strongly
entrenched and promotion-minded. I was surprised that the company
expects nearly half of Escalade buyers to be women. I would guess that
the folks in Cadillac marketing are doing some in-depth surveys among
the owners of other luxury SUVs and have found a lucrative market niche.

BOB - Cadillac rushed into the SUV market with the Escalade. It
didn't take long to develop and the reason why is that the Escalade is a
dressed-up version of other GM corporate-clone SUVs. The difference is
that nearly all the amenities available off the GM parts shelves come as
standard equipment. To begin with, it's a no-kidding truck with a
full-length ladder frame that would do justice to a semi-tractor. And
although it's got independent torsion-bar suspension up front, I'd bet
that it's the first Cadillac to ride on rear leaf springs since the
'40s. And although its running boards are minuscule, the last Cadillac
to have them was in '38.

MATT - The suspension is soft enough, but buyers shouldn't expect
that boulevard ride usually associated with Caddies. I thought it could
use a little more roll stiffness and maybe the anti-sway bars could be a
little thicker. And although it's a 4x4, it wasn't meant to do much
off-roading. There are five different settings for the drive system,
from rear-wheel-drive-only to a system that automatically takes power
away from the wheels that slip and delivers it to the wheels with the
most grip. There's a driver-selected low range for maximum pulling power
but most Escalade drivers will never use it. The engine is the
ever-present GM 350 CID V8 that been around for a long, long time, so it
has no bugs that need to be worked out. It has two valves per cylinder
and they're operated by pushrods, and while the horsepower has
deliberately been engineered to be 255, its torque figure is way up
there at 330 pound/feet. It can pull 6600 pounds with no problem and can
hold up to 118 cubic feet of cargo. I think it's the first Cadillac I've
ever come across that touts its towing capacity so if an Escalade owner
has a fancy power boat, he or she can now tow it behind an equally fancy
truck.

BOB - It has anti-skid brakes, of course, but the rear drum brakes
are a disappointment on a luxury vehicle. I'd expect four-wheel disc
brakes on a rig like this, but we didn't feel any braking weaknesses
except for a slightly mushy brake pedal. Inside, though, the
appointments and detailing are typically Cadillac, with soft leather
trim and polished wood accents. It has a CD player in the dash, but
there's also a standard six-disc changer in the center console.
Passengers in the back seat can opt for a separate sound system that
plays through a pair of earphones, while both the front and back seats
have built-in warmers.

MATT - One of the standard items I like is the On-Star system that
works using satellites. It's a personal communication network that can
find the Escalade if it's stolen, send help if the air bags are deployed
or even open the door if the keys are locked inside. It can also help
with directions to automatic teller machines, gas stations and assist in
making restaurant and hotel reservations. And to further strengthen
Cadillac's new market position, the company's even changed its venerable
logo to one that's more up-to-date and less stodgy.

BOB - Cadillac has made a big deal out of that new stylized crest-
and-wreath emblem, Matt, but I kind of miss the old versions.

MATT - Dad, they've changed it three times since you were born, and
the badge you liked disappeared in 1957.

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